Halloween on the Knight Bus
by IrishIris
Summary: Trick-or-treating and partying can only mask grief for so long, but all feelings come to light on the Knight Bus. Post-war oneshot.


A/N: This is my submission for the Shrieking Shack Society's Halloween short story challenge. The rules were 1) written from the POV of any marauder and 2) set on Halloween. Of course, I can't help but write Remione, so I threw some of that in here, too.

Read, review, respect. Happy Halloween, everyone!

* * *

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for a witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and… oh, hello there, little guy!"

"Roar!" Teddy said from Remus' arms, holding up his chubby dinosaur hands in what was supposed to be a menacing gesture.

"Lupin Cottage, Yorkshire, please," Remus said, handing the sickles to a delighted Stan.

"Daddy? More?" Teddy said, trying to wiggle his way to freedom.

"Not tonight, son," Remus said, placing the toddler on the first bed. "But look! You filled up your bag!"

Teddy poked his head into the sack. "This one!" he said, pointing to a giant, multi-colored lollipop.

"How about this one?" Remus tried, hiding the choke hazard and offering a chocolate bar instead.

Teddy squealed and made grabby hands at it, bouncing up and down on the bed. Remus knew he'd given the boy too much sugar already tonight, but he also knew that the crash was coming. He couldn't wait. Halloween was exhausting enough for the former Marauder without a toddler to wrangle as well. Andromeda had offered to take him trick-or-treating, but he couldn't resist Teddy's chubby cheeks, pleading for his daddy to take him.

As it turned out, Teddy hadn't even finished half his sweet before passing out on the bed, his cheeks smeared with chocolate. Remus sighed and cleaned him up. Thank Merlin.

Remus had been up for hours. He had gotten away for a few minutes before the sun rose that morning to visit Godric's Hollow. Andromeda had slept over, knowing how hard the holiday was on her son-in-law, and he was grateful. He couldn't stand the crowds, the speeches, and the over-the-top memorials that would start showing up later in the day, even so many years after James and Lily's death. He'd stayed for a few minutes, telling them about Teddy's new favorite word (No!) and the book he was writing, but leaving soon after. He couldn't handle much more, only really visiting out of a sense of duty rather than desire.

He rubbed his eyes, hoping no one else got on the bus. As soon as he got home, he was having a stiff drink.

But Halloween had never done him any favors, and this year was no exception. No sooner had he wished for his drink than the bus took them through Diagon Alley and lurched to a stop outside Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for a witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and…oi, where's your coat?"

"Jus' lemme on," a similarly exhausted voice grit out. Hermione Granger, in a black dress and formal witch's hat, shuffled around the young porter and out of the cold. "Hogsmead, if you would."

"Hello, Hermione," Remus said, thoroughly glad to see a familiar face.

She was definitely intoxicated, which explained her presence on the Knight Bus. When the bus lurched forward, she lost her balance and crashed face-first onto the bed right next to his son.

"Easy there," Remus said with a small smile, holding his arm out.

"Thanks," she said, using his hand to steady herself. "It's good to see you."

Remus felt a pang of guilt. It was a well-known fact among their friends that he hardly left his house anymore. When Tonks died at the Battle of Hogwarts, she left behind a shell of a man to take care of their infant son. He let Andromeda and Molly keep them both well fed because nothing staves off grief like cooking, but it only enabled his hermitage. He hadn't seen Hermione since last May at the one-year memorial ceremony at Hogwarts. If it had been any other day, he would have pulled her in for a hug, for he missed him terribly. Perhaps more than a friend should miss a friend. But it wasn't just any day, and he wearily let go of her hand.

"Someone had a long night trick-or-treating," Remus explained, pointing to the overflowing sack of sweets next to the sleeping boy.

"That 'somebody' is the man who's going to eat most of the chocolate, I take it?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Remus barked out a laugh. "Right in one. Here, have a piece."

"I hear congratulations are in order, by the way. I'm sure you will be very happy as a Weasley." Remus might have been out of the loop, but he'd of course heard about the upcoming nuptials.

"Actually," Hermione said, running her fingers nervously up and down the vine pattern on her wand, "Weasley didn't seem to fit me."

"Well, you're a modern woman, I'm sure-"

"It was one of many things that didn't fit, though. We've called it off."

Remus let out a breath, and then dug down to the bottom of the sack where he'd hidden the best, full-sized candy bar that Teddy could never finish. He offered it to her with an apologetic smile.

"Thank you, Remus. It's been a few weeks, though, and I'm really ok." Remus looked closely, and could tell she didn't say it with false peace. She took the offered candy just the same.

"Wild party?" he guessed, changing the subject with a smile.

Hermione chewed on the inside of her cheek and watched the buildings fly past the window. "I started at the cemetery with Harry and Ginny this afternoon. When we got to George's flat, they'd already spiked the butterbeer, so we all got properly smashed in James and Lily's honor."

Remus looked at Teddy, remembering- or rather, not remembering- twelve years of Halloweens. He sighed. "To be young and have that luxury."

They sat in silence for a while after that, letting the bus carry them out of the city and into the countryside. Remus ran his finger's through Teddy's hair absently, and it changed to a sandy blonde color in his sleep.

"I wonder all the time what it would have been like to raise my own son at the same time James was raising Harry," he said quietly, not sure where the confession was coming from. "James was a wonderful father, even cooped up like they were towards the end."

"You're a good father too, Remus."

He gave her a wane smile. "James stayed in his house for months because he was protecting Lily and Harry. I stay in my house because I'm a coward."

Before Hermione could refute that, Knight Bus threw on the brakes and all the beds slammed into the front. Teddy's little head popped up and looked around in alarm.

"It's ok, son," Remus said, opening up his arms for the toddler to wiggle into. Teddy made a small noise of contentment as the bus started moving again.

"Coward or no, I think James would be very proud of your parenting skills," Hermione said, looking less intoxicated while watching the father and son.

"Well, I never got Teddy one of those miniature hover-brooms or a snitch mobile for his bed, so I'm not sure he would have agreed with _all_ of my choices," Remus said, his eyes taking on a glassy look, "but… perhaps you're right."

The Knight Bus came to a screeching stop in front of the familiar cottage, decorated with candles and glowing pumpkins on the front stoop. Remus gathered the sleeping boy into his arms and picked up the giant sack of candy. "I'm afraid this is our stop."

"Harry says being alone is the worst thing when you're sad," Hermione said in a rush, looking embarrassed, "You should come by their place some time."

"Harry is wiser than his years." Remus paused, looking down at the exhausted bundle in his arms. "Teddy should spend more time around his godfather, I think."

"He would love that."

He nodded. "It was good to see you, Hermione. Really."

"Bye bye," Teddy said with a soft yawn, not even opening his eyes as they stepped off the bus and it whisked Hermione away into the night.

It didn't take Remus long to get Teddy to bed and settle himself on the couch with a book, fully aware that he wouldn't get more than a few pages before he crashed himself. He eyed the bottle of firewhiskey on the bookshelf, but he didn't feel like he needed it anymore. The bottle next to it, however, he knew a use for.

He scrawled a message on a spare bit of parchment and called over his owl. Pumpkin-flavored sober-up was just what Hermione would need come morning. After sending it off, he felt confident that Lily would have approved of his thoughtfulness, and James would have made a bawdy joke. And Tonks, though his heart still twisted at the thought of her, she would approve of him living life again as well. For what he imagined was the first time in twenty-something years, Remus fell asleep with a small on his face Halloween night.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _Thanks for your kindness to an old werewolf tonight. I hope you'll accept some kindness in return, as I know the usual varieties of sober-up are less than palatable._

 _As always, you were quite right. The time for grieving in silence is over, I think._

 _Fondly, Remus_

 _P.S. It's not just Harry I'd like to see more. Yours, too, would be a face I'd love to see more often._


End file.
